What she was referring to was his brief, passionate fling with her big sister, Rui, during his time in Tokyo.
Back then, Akashi—or Bacardi, as he was known in certain circles—had carefully kept Rui away from the organization's dangerous affairs, sharing little about his true self.
As for the accusations of deceit—utter nonsense!
There had been a drunken mistake, one ill-fated night when he stumbled into the wrong room and found himself in Hitomi, his sister-in-law's quarters.
A foolish mistake, yes. A lie? Hardly.
The mention of this incident brought an immediate reaction. Rui, sitting across from Akashi, heard her younger sister chattering freely, her words like the ramblings of a child. A vein twitched on her forehead.
"Ai, shut up!" she commanded sharply, silencing the chatter.
She then turned her attention to Akashi.
At first glance, she was struck by his appearance.
Those distinctive features, the deep, star-like eyes—it was a face that demanded attention.
Upon closer inspection, something about his eyes seemed familiar.
The contours of his small face stirred memories, reminding her of someone she couldn't quite place.
Her curiosity piqued, she asked:
"What's your name? And where did you get this Bat Card?"
"What's your connection to Bacardi?"
Akashi responded without hesitation, his tone both innocent and shameless:
"My name is Akashi. Bacardi? Oh, I know him! That's the nickname of that handsome older brother."
"He told me to come here and find a big sister with a tear mole on her lip named Rui."
"He said you'd help sell some things and procure weapons."
"Oh, and he mentioned that any leftover money is stored on an anonymous black card—he said he'd need it later."
The room fell silent for a moment before Rui pressed further, her voice trembling slightly with urgency:
"When did you meet him?"
Akashi glanced up, noticing the faint glisten of tears in her eyes and the subtle tension in her brow.
Her expression, both anxious and hopeful, softened his demeanor.
"That Big Brother? I saw him last night," he said gently.
"But he told me he's gotten into trouble with some serious people and needs to lie low for a while."
"He said he wouldn't meet you, big sister, until everything was resolved."
Hearing this, she let out a long, audible sigh of relief.
She had heard reports that he'd been killed the night before last.
But if he'd been seen as recently as last night, then all was well.
The heavy weight in her heart began to ease.
"Was he injured?" she asked, her voice softer now.
"No, not at all. He looked perfectly healthy!" Akashi assured her.
At this, Ai chimed in with her characteristic bluntness:
"Sis, I told you ages ago that guy is like a cockroach—he'll survive anything! He wouldn't die that easily!"
"He must have faked his death to escape! And in doing so, he made both you and Second Sister cry your eyes out these past two days. What a scoundrel!"
Akashi couldn't help but wince at Ai's candid criticism, her words directed right at him.
'This girl really knows how to push buttons,' he thought.
But he held his tongue, determined to address her impudence another day.
Still, her comment about Rui piqued his curiosity.
He had always known Rui to be a formidable figure, unyielding and composed.
In all the time he'd known her, he'd never seen her cry—well, aside from certain intimate moments in bed.
Akashi naturally didn't dare to reveal his true identity outright.
After all, in his current state—a young shota with no real power—he had no means to defend himself if things went wrong.
He hadn't even resolved the lingering tension between the sisters.
He couldn't be sure if they were still angry at him.
If they discovered his identity now, who knew what might happen?
The thought of walking into this potential Shura field made his stomach turn.
'The women of the Kisugi family are all dangerous!'
Meanwhile, Ai continued her relentless complaints:
"That guy doesn't even dare to show his face, so he sends a child to handle his errands!"
"I bet he's imitating that Sherlock guy, using kids like beggars to do his dirty work."
"It seems like he's stirred up some serious trouble this time!"
Ai's sharp tongue and quick imagination spun a vivid narrative almost instantly.
If she weren't tangled in this underworld business, she'd make an excellent professional commentator.
Rui, draped elegantly in a purple dress, stepped forward, her presence as fragrant as it was commanding.
In the next moment, she crouched down in front of Akashi, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
Her slightly brown eyes locked onto him, their gaze both mesmerizing and probing.
"So, Akashi-kun, right? How do you know that big brother? Why don't you tell your big sister?" she asked, her voice sweet but laced with intrigue.
Akashi felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple.
"I... I used to live in an orphanage. Big Brother came by to do volunteer work."
"He donated a lot of things to us, and after seeing him a few times, we got to know each other."
Rui's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
'Not even a blood relation?' She studied his face again. 'But they look so alike!'
'Volunteer work? Is that guy really such a good Samaritan?'
Her suspicions lingered, but she released his shoulder, brushing a hand gently over his head.
"What did he ask you to deliver?" she finally asked.
Akashi carefully set down the three large bags of gold coins he had been carrying.
With a thud, the floor trembled slightly, drawing Rui and Ai's attention.
She opened one bag, her eyes narrowing at the contents.
"Maple Leaf coins? Oh, the antique coins stolen by that Italian criminal gang!"
"There was a huge ruckus over this heist. I didn't think he'd end up with them!"
"It seems he's scored quite the windfall."
Next to her, Ai peeked over her sister's shoulder, her curiosity piqued.
"Sis, it's all real!" she exclaimed.
"I remember hearing that Maple Leaf coins from that year sold for over 50,000 yen each!"
"Judging by the quantity here, this haul must be worth at least 1.5 billion yen!"
"But if we flood the market, we'll have to settle for 600 to 700 million at most."
Despite her penchant for nonsense, Ai's sharp intellect was undeniable.
In moments, she had calculated the treasure's value with impressive accuracy.
Then she turned to Akashi, her eyes wide with astonishment.
"This... this must weigh over 200 kilograms!" she blurted.
"Kid, how did you even carry this here?"
Akashi grimaced.
'Damn it, I got careless again!' he thought, his body clearly betraying him.
"Haha, I'm just naturally strong for my size," he said with an awkward laugh.
Rui's sharp gaze lingered on him, her skepticism evident, but she chose not to press further. Instead, she changed the subject.
"What weapons did he ask you to procure?"
Prepared for this, Akashi handed her a list.
On it were detailed specifications: pistols, submachine guns, sniper rifles, grenades—practically a full arsenal.
Rui scanned the paper and nodded.
"It's definitely his handwriting," she remarked, her tone both amused and relieved.
The comment made Akashi's heart skip a beat.
'She's still suspicious!' he realized. 'I need to tread carefully.'
Rui's gaze sharpened as she continued her questioning:
"Did he say when he needs these weapons? And how does he plan to collect them?"
Akashi replied smoothly:
"Big Brother said the sooner, the better. He asked me to take some pistols with me, but the rest should be delivered to a designated location."
Rui nodded again.
"Got it."
She walked to her desk, pressed a few buttons, and retrieved a black Centurion card.
"This card has 600 million yen on it," she said, handing it to Akashi.
"Give it to him and tell that guy something for me: don't die. I still have a score to settle with him."
She turned to Ai.
"Take him downstairs and give him some pistols. He's probably in a hurry to use them."
Ai nodded and took Akashi by the hand, leading him out.
As they descended, Rui stood by the window, spinning the bat card in her fingers.
Her once grim expression had melted into a radiant smile.
Picking up her phone, she made a quick call.
"Uncle Saeba, cancel the operation."
"That guy isn't dead."
If Akashi hadn't shown up, Rui had been ready to lead an all-out assault on the black organization's base.
Despite their secrecy, the Kisugi family, as renowned intelligence brokers, had uncovered enough to strike.
The thought of her man's supposed death had driven her to the brink of retaliation.
But now, she could wait.
The next move would depend on her meeting with Bacardi.